Police scanners that work where you live
91% of US counties show P25 digital police and fire radio, and one of Amazon's best-selling scanners can't hear it. Look up your county first, then buy the cheapest scanner that hears it.
Pick by the radio your county uses
Most counties: P25 digitalThe cheapest new scanner we found that hears P25 Phase 1 and 2.Uniden BCD325P2 · $399.00
Big cities with simulcastBuilt for systems that send one call from several towers.Uniden SDS200 · $749.99
For home or carSame systems as the BCD325P2, on 12-volt power.Uniden BCD996P2 · $399.26
Analog-only countiesA simple handheld for the few places still on analog.Uniden BC125AT · $137.65
DMR or NXDN areasDMR and NXDN built in. It doesn't hear P25.Uniden BCD160DN · $244.17Did your police encrypt?75 agencies, each with a dated source.Amazon prices as of October 14, 2026, 10:00 PM Pacific. Prices change; Amazon shows the current one.
Three things the box won't tell you
A best seller
One of the best-selling scanners on Amazon, the Uniden BC125AT, is analog only. Uniden: “The BC125AT is not a digital scanner and is not capable of Digital Radio system monitoring, (e.g. Project 25, DMR, NXDN).”
"Digital" isn't P25
Uniden's BCD160DN and BCD260DN, about $245 each, decode DMR and NXDN, not the P25 most police use. See the trap.
75 agencies
No scanner can hear encrypted police at any price. We track which agencies encrypted, with sources. See the list.
Guides
- Which police scanner works in my area?
A lookup for every US county, built on 109,091 FCC public safety licenses.
- Best police scanner for your radio system
Picks for P25, simulcast, DMR and analog areas, with specs from the makers.
- Can a scanner hear encrypted police radio?
No. Here's who encrypted, and what you can still hear.
- Will the BC125AT work where I live?
A top seller, but analog. See which agencies near you it can hear.
- Scanner not picking up anything?
Seven causes, in order, with fixes from the manuals.